


Would It Be Okay If I Took Your Breath Away?

by Raiza



Category: Bleach, Naruto
Genre: Alternate Reality, Alternate Universe, Character Death, Crack Pairing, F/M, More tags will be added later, Sadness, everybody deserves a happy ending
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-10-20
Updated: 2017-05-13
Packaged: 2018-04-27 06:36:32
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 4
Words: 13,656
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5037682
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Raiza/pseuds/Raiza
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Out of all the souls he had encountered none had ever intrigued him quite like hers. Everything about her defied his very existence. All the foreign emotions she stirred within him did not matter, his duty as Captain would always come first...</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> This story popped into my head one morning while I was using my cherry blossom shampoo (I know go figure), but the truth is writing a Byakuya Kuchiki and Hinata Hyūga story was one of the pairings I wanted to do. This story has been in the works for a while, and I hope you like it. 
> 
> Before you skip to the beginning of the story, I need to establish a background first. This story takes place when the Konoha 11 are all between the ages of 18 and 20; I wouldn’t feel comfortable with a several hundred years old Shinigami having a relationship with an underage Hinata and I don’t think he would either. This also takes place after the Lost Substitute Shinigami Arc so their new look applies. I don’t want to give too much away as I’m sure you will all figure things out as we go along. Please read and review! Anyway, on with the story…
> 
> There are commissions for this story made by the incredibly talented NanFe _[This Fleeting Memento of Spring](http://www.deviantart.com/art/This-Fleeting-Memento-of-Spring-379649967)_  and by Black-pantheress _[Untitled](http://www.deviantart.com/art/Naruto-PayPal-commission-for-shardaedrakka-390093406) _ please check them out!
> 
> Also I will now take the time to state that I sadly do not own Naruto or Bleach; they belong to Masashi Kishimoto and Tite Kubo who have so kindly created them for our entertainment. We will forever be grateful.

It all started with the summoning they received from a Hell Butterfly. The planes of existence between Soul Society and the human world as they knew them would forever be altered. The Captain Commander Genryūsai Shikeguni Yamamoto sat on his chair with his hand grasping tightly the cane he always carried and never parted with. His face was a mask of indifference that betrayed nothing, but the Captains and Vice-Captains of the three divisions of the Gotei 13 that now stood before him knew better. Only four had been summoned: two Captains and two Vice-Captains. Their faces did not betray their innermost thoughts for they were the pillars of Seireitei and if they crumbled everything would follow soon after.

 

“You all have been summoned here for a special mission,” Captain Commander Yamamoto started, his aged and wise voice reverberated through the main hall. “It is of the utmost importance that everything is handled with complete secrecy.” He paused and looked at the four standing before him. “A life altering discovery has been made. A second plane of human-like life forms has been discovered.”

 

Their eyes widened in varying degrees at the new information. “What do you mean by second plane, Yamamoto-sōtaichō, and human-like?” Captain Tōshirō Hitsugaya was the first to speak.

 

“This world was discovered a few days ago by accident, and the reason why that discovery was made until now is what has Central 46, Kurotsuchi-taichō, and myself worried.” He allowed them a chance to voice their concerns and when they made none he continued. “There was a tremendous fluctuation in Reiryoku and its source was undetermined. The Shinigami Research and Development Institute could not pinpoint its exact location, and at first it was speculated that it had originated from the Human World. However, upon further research it was found that the amount of Reiryoku was far more powerful than that of humans; it far surpasses that of Orihime Inoue, Yasutora Sado, and Uryū Ishida.”

 

He had claimed the Captains’ and Vice-Captains’ undivided attention at the mention of this second plane. “Why now? Why is it that now all of a sudden this second world has been detected? We are almost certain that it has been there for a long time unnoticed by Shinigami and Hollow alike.” Maybe they had an educated guess as to why this had been, but when he remained quiet so did they. “Our closest assumption is that something major is going on in this second world.”

 

“Something major, like what Yamamoto-sōtaichō?” Vice-Captain Rukia Kuchiki asked.

 

“That is unknown, Kuchiki-fukutaichō, which is precisely why you have all been summoned here today. Your mission is to go to this second world and investigate the source of this unknown Reiryoku. You are merely being sent there to observe and are not to engage in any unnecessary confrontation. If the situation gets out of your control call for backup immediately I have select Shinigami on standby. You are going into unknown territory and we cannot afford to have any casualties especially any of you. I have chosen the four of you for a reason; you have shown your worth and ability time and time again. I place complete trust in your judgment.”

 

“How soon do you expect us to return with the information?” Vice-Captain Rangiku Matsumoto asked.

 

“I expect you to inform me as soon as you do a quick survey of the area upon your arrival, but take as much time as is needed. However, if I receive no report of your status within a few hours I will send immediate assistance.” Head Captain Yamamoto turned to look at the one person who had not spoken. “Do you have any questions, Kuchiki-taichō?”

 

Byakuya Kuchiki had received his orders from the Captain Commander and they were perfectly clear. “I have none, Yamamoto-sōtaichō.”

 

Pleased with his Captains and Vice-Captains the Head Captain pounded his cane on the floor. “You have received your orders, go and come back safely.”

 

 

ͻͻͻͻͻͻͻͻͻͻͻͻͻͻͻͻͻͻͻͻͻͻͻͻͻͻͻͻͻͻͻͻͻͻͻͻͻͻͻͻͻͻͻͻͻͻͻͻͻͻ

 

 

All four of them secretly made their way to the Kuchiki manor, their mission was top-secret and they should proceed as such. There was a Hell Butterfly for each of them and they fluttered freely in front of them. The Senkaimon opened and they were greeted by its characteristic bright light, the Hell Butterflies fleeting ahead of them to guide their way. Rukia would be lying if she said she wasn’t nervous; a completely new world would be revealed to them soon.

 

They walked the small room that led to the Senkaimon that would open into this new world. Right in front of it her brother paused briefly he had been leading the way, and she was sure that he had done it mainly for her and Rangiku to gather themselves; the captains were fearless. He finally opened the door and they were temporarily disoriented by the sunlight. They cautiously stepped out and when their eyes had adjusted to the light they saw that the safest place the Hell Butterflies could lead them to had been in midair.

 

They were in a vast terrain; there were no buildings anywhere in the area and they could see what remained of the mountainous region. Her sense of sound was immediately assaulted by the sound of explosions, and Rukia found she could not pinpoint one single source for there were countless. They had stumbled upon an enormous battlefield. That’s when she felt it— the tremendous spikes of Reiryoku all over the area— there were so many of them! She looked at her brother as well as the Captain and Vice-Captain of the 10th Division, and saw that they had felt the same thing.

 

A Hell Butterfly landed on Byakuya’s finger to relay the message of their arrival and the condition that this world was in to the Captain Commander. It fled swiftly once the message was received and entered the Senkaimon. “We are not to engage or interfere under any circumstances. We have our orders from the Captain Commander. There are far too many concentrated sources of Reiryoku, and we shall focus for now on the ones where the concentration is at its strongest. If there is a significant spike in any of our Reiatsu we shall assist immediately. Returning to Soul Society with our information is as important as gathering it.” He looked between the three of them to make sure they had understood. “Rukia you will stay in this vicinity, Hitsugaya-taichō you shall take the western side, Matsumoto-fukutaichō the east, and I will take the north. If anything gets out of control we will meet back here.”

 

When all was made crystal clear they all went in different directions. Rukia descended to her designated area and felt the flow of Reiryoku increase as she did so. She landed in a small open area where she could begin her observation. The first thing she noticed was one of the opposing sides. They were these strange white creatures and half of its body looked mutilated and warped, she could see hundreds of them as far as the eye could see. These clone-like things were not Hollows of that much she was sure. They kept coming and coming even after they were cut down by the opposing side; the others were human but they weren’t normal at all. Rukia could sense their Reiatsu, on some more than others, but these people had developed it far beyond what they had known a human was capable of.

 

Not too far ahead of her she felt a particular large surge in reiatsu and drawn to it she walked through the sea of white clones and super humans. She came to a stop a short distance from two people that stood back to back, and she realized that if she could describe them in a few words they were beautiful to her. Her first conclusion was that they had to be somehow related; the male and female had almost the same exact shade of pupil less eyes and she could see veins protruding from the sides of their eyes. To put it quite simply she had never seen anything like them, their fighting style was graceful and fluid almost as if they were dancing. The male had long brown hair and the female had long midnight blue hair. They were both out of breath, but they stood tall watching each others’ backs.

 

As another mob of the white clones attacked them the two said, “ _Hakke Kūhekishō!_ ” Simultaneously they extended their left and right arms as an invisible vacuum-like force expelled their enemies several feet away from them and with tremendous exertion. Their hands had not even made contact with their opponents’ bodies. As a clone approached the male from behind, the petite female reacted in a matter of seconds and aimed at it with a flexed hand. A blue light emitted from her hand as she aimed for its heart; before her hand had made contact it fell lifeless at their feet.

 

The brunette turned to look at her in awe and appreciation at having saved his life. “Thank you, Hinata-sama.”

 

She had to react quickly as many more made to attack them. “There is no need to thank me, Neji-niisan. I will not stand by as my loved ones are threatened; it is my nindō.” She quickly took down two more clones. “We swore this war was to protect Naruto-kun from Madara and we cannot fall here.” Rukia could see the determination in her eyes and she admired it.

 

“Hai, Hinata-sama,” and the two continued to battle against the opposing army. He looked down at the ground, “The White Zetsu Army keeps on coming from underground. There’s no end to them!”

 

Rukia wondered how he was able to know that, when she saw him look off in the distance towards the ground and she realized that it must have been their eyes. Those white eyes of theirs intrigued her. “We must continue to hold them off as much as we can. We don’t know how long our reinforcements will take; the White Zetsus caught the Allied Shinobi Forces off guard when they went underground.”

 

That’s who these humans were, _shinobi_? She remembered learning vaguely about them when she went to school in the human world, but they had been taught they were no longer around. This alternate plane was a shinobi world?

 

The shinobi fought countless enemies for what seemed hours and just when Rukia saw no end to them, their numbers died down. Breathless and exhausted the shinobi looked around them for any more of the ones they referred to as they White Zetsu Army. Just as it seemed as if they would be able to catch their breath, they all visibly stiffened and appeared to be listening for something that was inaudible to her. Instantly exhaustion left their bodies and their determination was renewed.

 

“You all heard Yamanaka-san, Naruto-kun and Killer B-sama are making their stand and are fighting Tobi and the tailed beasts with all they have. We must help them!” Hinata spoke with renewed fervor. Rukia wondered how they had all been notified of this. Were these shinobi capable of telepathy? Somehow that did not surprise her.

 

The shinobi quickly ran off in the direction Tōshirō had gone and she followed them. The shinobi looked more determined than ever. Rukia felt as the Reiatsu increased exponentially ahead of them and she felt the killing intent rolling off of it in waves. Soon after, she saw enormous black spheres of energy and when they touched ground and exploded the shockwave was powerful enough it knocked back several of the shinobi. Hinata, Neji, and the rest of them who had not been affected just kept pressing forward even more determined to get to their comrades.

 

When they finally reached this new battle, she immediately spotted Tōshirō above the battleground observing them and went to him. “What’s going on Hitsugaya-taichō?”

 

“I saw a man turn into an octopus and begin to fight the other beasts, then the blonde boy was shrouded in yellow light and he joined in the fight. The masked man standing over there is commanding the beasts. Somehow he is controlling them. All of their powers and abilities… I’ve never seen anything like them.” The young captain said in awe. “What are they?”

 

“From what I have overheard they are all shinobi. We happened to stumble upon some type of great shinobi war— they call themselves the Allied Shinobi Forces. What this war is over I am still unsure of.”

 

Behind her she heard Neji call out, “Gai-sensei!”

 

A man wearing a green spandex uniform turned to look at him. “Neji-kun, stay back!” All of them did just as an attack was aimed at him, another man with grey hair, and the blonde boy Tōshirō had mentioned.

 

The powerful attack was deflected by the blonde boy creating another explosion. “Kakashi-sensei and Gai-sensei, are you alright?” He asked, his concern over the other two exceeding his own well-being. The other two nodded.

 

“Naruto-kun!” Hinata’s concern reflected in her voice.

 

“Hinata, stay back! Neji take them away from here! It’s far too dangerous!” The blonde yelled at him.

 

“No, Naruto-kun the whole purpose of the alliance was for us to protect you and B-sama. We can’t stand aside and do nothing!” Hinata replied fervently.

 

Rukia could see the doubt in Naruto’s eyes as he looked back at Hinata but he finally gave in and almost growled in frustration. “Fine, but everybody else needs to stay back. I don’t want any unnecessary casualties.” All but Neji, Hinata, a boy with red triangles on his face, and another with a heavy coat and sunglasses stood back a distance.

 

All their attention was focused on the masked man when he laughed. “Still worrying over others? You haven’t changed Naruto. You are willing to die for them— the ones who shunned you and the others for being jinchūriki. It is all only momentary. They are grateful to you only because you defeated Pain… it will all fade with time. When I win this Fourth Shinobi World War it will not matter, the great Shinobi Nations will be under my _Infinite Tsukuyomi_ and it will be as if all of this never happened. All who have fallen will not be remembered.”

 

Rukia raised her Reiatsu to alert Byakuya and Rangiku, the situation in this Shinobi World was much worse than they feared. “Fourth Shinobi World War— then that means there have been three wars prior to this one? Why is it that the others did not alert us of their existence?”

 

The 10th Division Captain remained silent while he pondered over this new revelation. “Perhaps the others were nowhere near as grand in scale as this one.” That made sense Rukia thought briefly.

 

Then another immense presence entered the battlefield accompanied by Byakuya and Rangiku. “We felt the irregularity in your Reiatsu and came as soon as possible.” Byakuya said addressing her. The two new to the battle surveyed the area quickly.

 

As the unknown male stood next to the masked man she heard the others gasp in astonishment. “Madara Uchiha,” she heard the one known as Kakashi say when he recognized the dark long haired man.

 

Naruto quickly turned to him, “What do you mean? If that’s Madara Uchiha than who is _he_?” He said pointing to the one wearing the orange mask.

 

The man laughed heartily yet his laugh sent a chill down her spine. “I am no one. My true identity is of no importance.” The beasts retreated and stood next to him, waiting, for what she wasn’t sure.

 

“There were five others fighting Madara Uchiha. All five were powerful, but he was overpowering them and it appeared as if he was merely toying with them.” Byakuya gave them his analysis quickly and calmly.

 

Rukia looked at Madara Uchiha. Something about him seemed off; when she looked in his eyes they were almost lifeless. “Nii-sama, his eyes they’re-”

 

“He is dead— from what I gathered from the other five, that is why everyone reacts that way by his presence on the battlefield. A man named Kabuto used what they referred to as _Kuchiyose: Edo Tensei_ , a technique which brought several of their most feared warriors back from the dead.” He had gathered such valuable information in a short amount of time. “Apparently the technique is forbidden.”

 

“How is that even possible, to bring the dead back to life?” The 10th Division Captain asked incredulously.

 

“I saw him fight against them, Hitsugaya-taichō, and I do believe there might be some truth to what they say. He seemed almost completely empty. The way he and his companion spoke to them it seemed as if their movements were not of their own volition and they are being manipulated.” If her brother believed it to be true then they were truly dangerous.

 

“Won’t all these souls eventually attract Hollows? There are countless dead and more dying as we speak.” Rangiku was right. Maybe the Hollows had not made their way into this world yet, but the current situation would certainly attract them. Like moths to the flame.

 

“Matsumoto-fukutaichō and I will perform konsō on the ones we can find.” Tōshirō and Rangiku took off in opposite directions.

 

“Is that the Kyūbi’s chakra I sense?” They heard Madara ask.

 

Rukia saw Naruto stiffen slightly. “He is one of the remaining jinchūriki, Naruto Uzumaki.” The masked man offered.

 

“From the Uzumaki Clan?” She heard Madara confirm.

 

The masked man nodded, “He is the son of the previous Kyūbi jinchūriki Kushina Uzumaki and the Fourth Hokage Minato Namikaze.”

 

“Tobi,” Kakashi called out to him and the masked man looked at him in acknowledgement. “Will you not reveal your true identity to us now? It is clear that you are not Madara Uchiha, for he is standing in front of us under the influence of the _Edo Tensei_ as a mere puppet of Kabuto’s. This only confirms that the real Madara Uchiha has been dead all this time.”

 

“Like I said before my true identity is of no consequence. The outcome will be the same once I acquire the last of the bijū.” This man gave Rukia the chills.

 

She felt the new Reiatsu approach the battlefield before she saw him. She heard the voices of the other shinobi in the distance and when she looked in the direction they had gone to take cover she saw a dark haired male walking towards them. Her brother was looking at him too as well as Hinata. The girl recognized him and Rukia saw an unknown emotion in her lavender eyes. “Sasuke,” she almost whispered his name.

 

Naruto looked back and his eyes widened when he saw him, “Sasuke… I was hoping we wouldn’t have to come to this in the end.” All his motivation and determination had left him as soon as this Sasuke appeared and now he looked sad.

 

“Sasuke, how nice of you to join us,” Tobi said his voice dripping with disdain.

 

Sasuke smirked as he addressed them, “So this is the mighty Madara Uchiha— the founder of the Uchiha Clan— bending to the will of the Akatsuki?”

 

Madara’s expression remained lifeless but if he could have expressed anything, Rukia could have sworn he almost seemed fond of the young man. “Sasuke Uchiha, the last of the survivors of the Uchiha clan.” This clan must have been powerful she thought. “You know we don’t have a will of our own the _Edo Tensei_ takes complete control. I would have never wanted for the last of the Uchiha to die out like this. Whatever you do Sasuke, do not let yourself get killed today.” She saw a remnant of who he had been when he was alive show through. As quickly as it had appeared it was gone. “ _Sharingan_ ,” and with just a simple word his eyes changed and they turned red.

 

Sasuke muttered the same word and his eyes did the same thing. It was similar to what she had seen earlier with Hinata and Neji; their eyes were a special trait of their respective clans. Madara started making some hand signals and she saw the alarm on Sasuke’s face. “Everybody move back!” All the shinobi that were within earshot ran off at speed similar to their hohō.

 

“ _Katon: Gōka Mekkyaku_ ,” Madara expelled fire from his mouth and a great wall of fire swept towards them and wiped out everything in its path. The ones that had not been able to get away had turned to ash and though it was sad to see any life lost she was glad the number had been far less thanks to Sasuke’s warning.

 

She looked at Byakuya and tried to read an emotion on his face but saw none, he only observed everything just as she. She was astonished at what these shinobi could do. She hoped Hinata and Neji were okay and had gotten away in time. Once the smoke dissipated Naruto and Sasuke emerged unscathed and she felt herself let out a breath she didn’t know she had been holding.

 

Rangiku and Tōshirō were once again at their side. “We managed to purify the ones in the surrounding areas, but we thought you might need assistance after we felt the massive surge in Reiatsu.” Tōshirō looked around at the scorched earth. “What happened here?”

 

“It was him— it was Madara,” Rukia said motioning to him. “He did a series of hand signals and fire came out of his mouth destroying everything in its path.” He looked at Byakuya who only nodded slightly for confirmation.

 

The two Uchiha began attacking each other with balls of fire and Tōshirō and Rangiku witnessed for themselves that what they had claimed before was true. At the same time Naruto performed a technique of his own, “ _Tajū Kage Bunshin no Jutsu_.” Hundreds of Naruto clones appeared and attacked Madara.

 

Behind him Sasuke prepared for another attack as blue-white lightning started to form on his left hand. The sound that emitted from the lightning was like that of birds, and while it looked beautiful it must have been deadly. Sasuke charged through the Narutos and went straight for Madara. “ _Chidori_!” The powerful current was focused on his chest and sent him flying several feet. Madara lay immobile for several moments before standing to his feet.

 

Madara was undamaged. “You have to come at me much stronger than that. You will never defeat me that way.” Rukia was confused did he want to be beaten? “ _Mangekyō Sharingan_.” Then his eyes transformed again.

 

When Naruto meant to charge at him Sasuke held up his hand. “Stand back Naruto, you can’t defeat him. You are no match for the _Mangekyō_.” One of the beasts attacked Naruto forcing him to leave Sasuke to battle alone, and the rest of the beasts followed along with Tobi. Sasuke drew out his katana. _“Kusanagi no Tsurugi: Chidorigatana,”_ and it was surrounded in blue lightning and emitted that same bird-like sound. Then they charged and attacked each other relentlessly. From what she could see Sasuke could not land a hit on Madara giving him the upper hand.

 

Madara continued to attack with fire techniques keeping Sasuke at a distance. Still Sasuke did not waver. Then Madara did a technique she had not seen yet. “ _Susanoo_ ,” as he uttered this a giant humanoid being was formed and surrounded him like armor.

 

Rukia saw Sasuke smirk. “ _Mangekyō Sharingan_ ,” and his eyes transformed as well.

 

“No, Sasuke!” She saw Hinata get closer and Neji pull her back.

 

“Hinata-sama you must not interfere. This is his fight there is nothing we can do. Our Byakugan is no match against _Susanoo_. Surely you know this.” Rukia could see he did not like admitting it.

 

Hinata stopped moving thinking over what he had said. “ _Byakugan_.” The veins around her eyes were visible again and she looked intently at the humanoid being. Whatever she saw must not have been good for she could hear her desperation. “We have to do something, Neji-niisan! We have to help him.” Neji only shook his head.

 

Rukia turned to her brother and saw curiosity briefly cross his features. “I saw them fighting while using that technique. It must be a clan trait, similar to the ones the Uchiha possess. It enables them to see through objects and great distances. He was able to see the enemy coming at them from underground.” She said referring to Neji. “It also allows them to emit Reiatsu like powers from their hands incapacitating the enemy without so much as touching them.” She saw Byakuya was looking closely at the two below them. Floating above their shoulders she saw the remaining three Hell Butterflies and she felt relieved for they would need the evidence to prove what they had seen today.

 

They heard Sasuke’s voice and their attention was once again drawn towards the battle, “ _Amaterasu_.” His technique was done to counter the one of fire made by Madara. His black flames clashed with Madara’s red flames, and it overpowered them clashing into the humanoid. It was engulfed in the black flames and whatever surrounded it was immediately obliterated. They had never seen flames quite like those.

 

When the flames surrounding the humanoid receded she saw it was unscathed and she could see the surprise in the other Shinigamis’ faces— there was no taking this thing down. The flames on the terrain around it however, did not burn out. “Had your opponent been anybody else you would have succeeded. My powers far exceed the never extinguishing flames of Amaterasu rendering them completely useless against me.”

 

She saw the frustration briefly in Sasuke’s features as he acknowledged the truth in what he had said; his attacks had yet to damage Madara or his creature. Madara made to attack once again. _“Yasaka no Magatama.”_ The humanoid created a large chain of tomoe attached by a nearly invisible Reiatsu thread then hurled it in his direction. She saw them detach once in flight and attack him individually at alarming speed. With effort he evaded them all and when his feet were about to touch the ground the last one came at him at unavoidable speed.

 

Time slowed down as the Shinigami stood aside to see the outcome. Rukia did not want to see she knew if that attack hit him he would not survive. She wanted to look away but Neji’s voice did not let her. “Hinata-sama!” _No!_ She had just seen the petite girl far away from them, how had she crossed the distance between them that fast?

 

Hinata had managed to get to Sasuke and pushed him out of the way as the last attack came at him. She had seen what he had failed to. Nobody had been able to stop her. Hinata was thrown several feet in the air before coming down hard to the ground. Rukia heard Rangiku’s sharp intake of air next to her as everything unraveled before them. Sasuke and Neji were at Hinata’s side in record time. From where he had been fighting, he must have seen what had happened for Naruto was there too leaving the octopus and the other two men fighting the beasts.

 

She saw Hinata spit out blood and Sasuke knelt down beside her. He lifted her into his arms and cradled her. “Hinata, _why_ , why did you do something so reckless? You were supposed to stay away. Stupid, selfless woman…” She could hear him struggling for composure. Whatever their relationship was it must have been close.

 

Hinata coughed as she struggled to speak and she searched for his hand and grasped it with whatever strength she had left. “S-Sasuke… I couldn’t stand by a-and do n-nothing while you put your l-life on the line f-for u-us.”

 

“We need a medic nin! Somebody get Sakura-chan or Granny Tsunade!” Naruto yelled desperately. She saw many shinobi run off no doubt to search for a medic.

 

Neji was on her other side and held onto her just as desperately. “Hinata-sama you never listen to me. What am I supposed to tell Hiashi-sama and Hanabi-sama? You were my responsibility…”

 

Hinata smiled sadly. “T-tell my f-father and sister that I-I followed my nindō until the very e-end. They will understand…” Another coughing fit racked her body and she spit out more blood.

 

“ _Byakugan,”_ Neji’s eyes searched her body and when Sasuke looked at him hopefully he only shook his head.

 

“S-Sasuke,” she said softly. “P-promise me that no m-matter what h-happens you’ll go back to the v-village and rebuild the U-Uchiha Clan.”

 

He shook his head. “Hinata, I-”

 

“Y-you have to p-promise,” she pleaded as a tear trailed down her cheek. “You h-have to forgive Itachi.” When he looked at her incredulously she continued. “I know the t-truth… I know why he m-massacred the clan. It w-wasn’t his fault.”

 

Tears flowed freely down her cheeks now. “I promise Hinata, I will do anything you ask of me. I always did.” At that she smiled and he caressed her hair. He placed a gentle kiss on her forehead and Rukia could feel her eyes tear up.

 

“S-Sasuke… I-I have always l-loved you… a-all my life since w-we were k-kids.” She confessed. She heard Rangiku sniffle next to her.

 

“I love you, too Hinata,” he whispered. “It was always you— the reason why I kept going after everything that happened.” The last bit of strength he had left was quickly leaving him and Rukia saw his shoulders tremble. “The Uchiha Clan… you were supposed to rebuild it along with me…”

 

“I-I’m sorry, Sasuke…” she let out one last breath and her small body stilled.

 

Sasuke and Neji immediately noticed and she saw their despair. Tears finally left Sasuke’s eyes and he kissed her forehead tenderly as if he would break her. A blonde woman appeared next to them. “Hinata…” she said tenderly.

 

“Tsunade,” Sasuke said as he looked up pleadingly at her but the woman only shook her head. It was too late for her.

 

Rukia saw Hinata’s soul slowly materialize close to the group and she quickly descended towards her. The three Shinigami followed her. Rukia saw as Hinata quickly took in what had happened. The young girl quickly realized her fate. When Rukia touched the ground, Hinata turned to look at her with tears in her eyes. “I’m dead… aren’t I?”

 

Rukia nodded sadly, “Yes, I’m sorry.”

 

Hinata looked at her loved ones again, focusing mostly on Sasuke. “There is no reason to be sorry. I did what I had to do… I would not have been able to live with myself if something had happened to them while I just stood back and watched.” She looked back at the four Shinigami behind her. “Did you see everything that happened?”

 

“Yes, we did.”

 

“Who are you?”

 

“We are Shinigami.”

 

Hinata did not know what Shinigami were, but if she had only been able to see them then it probably meant one thing. “Are you here to take me away?” Rukia only nodded. Hinata looked at the four Shinigami in front of her as if she was memorizing what they looked like. “Will I see them again one day?”

 

Rukia knew she was asking about her loved ones. “Yes, you will in due time.”

 

Hinata turned away from them again and looked sadly at Sasuke and a single tear escaped her eye. “I am ready.” She said simply.

 

Rukia unsheathed her zanpakutō slowly watching for any fear in Hinata but saw none. The girl was truly resigned to her fate. She felt extreme sadness for this girl that had just begun to live and she felt her hand waiver. Byakuya was quickly at her side and placed his hand briefly on hers stilling it. She looked up at him gratefully, “Thank you, nii-sama.”

 

Hinata looked at Byakuya intently before smiling kindly at the captain. “Nii-sama… Neji was like my brother.” She said as she turned back to look at the male.

 

Rukia focused on her task once again. She smiled at the girl in front of her, “See you on the other side, Hinata.” She said softly as she performed konsō on her. Rukia knew that this would not be the last they heard of the lavender eyed girl. She was not sure why, but somehow she just knew.

 

Hinata looked truly at peace in that moment. “Sasuke…” she whispered as she looked back at him one last time, and as if he had been able to hear her he turned to look at them. As he focused his attention on them Hinata vanished.

 

She wondered if Sasuke had been able to see Hinata’s soul depart at the last moment for immediately after a cry of true and utter anguish broke out loud enough for all to hear.

 


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> If you're still out there reading this, thank you! To be honest, I lost track of how long it had been since I posted the original chapter so I hadn't realized it had been more than a year! I'm so sorry! I have been feeling the urge to write lately and I hope my muse has decided to stick around at least for a while. Like I had mentioned before, I have several chapters of this completed already and will post them a lot sooner. As before, my chapters are unbeta'd and English is my second language so please forgive my errors. Thanks in advance for reading this and I hope to hear from you!

As they stepped through the gate and his vision became accustomed to daylight, he saw a Shinigami that had been standing guard take to the rooftops as soon as the officers set foot on Seireitei once again. Personally he thought it was pointless, the Captain Commander had become aware of their presence the instant they arrived but he knew the Shinigami was merely following orders.

He also felt Madarame and Yumichika for a brief moment before they too were gone, no doubt to report their arrival to the captains. The discovery of this New World had everyone on edge and that was because the others still didn’t know what sort of humans lived there; everything they had known for centuries about humans had changed— Kurotsuchi would have a field day.

He used shunpo knowing that the others would follow to get to the main hall where the Captain Commander along with the other captains would surely be waiting. The low hum of voices quieted upon their arrival and he was slightly surprised to see that all captains and lieutenants were already gathered— as if they had been waiting for their return for hours which they probably had. A gathering of such magnitude was rare but the importance of this mission certainly called for it. All four greeted their leader with respect before standing side by side in front of the group to report their findings; the twinkling of the Hell Butterflies flying by them the only noise in the main hall.

“I am glad to see that all four of you have returned unharmed,” the Captain Commander began as welcome. “Tell me— what were your findings?”

At the question the group as a whole seemed to hold their breath; the other two lieutenants and captain standing next to him remained silent, he knew all they had witnessed was still being processed, even he had a hard time believing what he had seen and that was because he had experienced everything firsthand. He knew the ones standing before them would have a difficult time too and would only believe them once they saw what the Hell Butterflies had recorded.

The silence seemed to drag on for ages until the younger captain next to him cleared his throat and spoke. “The New World is a Shinobi World,” he stated simply and as the silent question for clarification hung in the air he continued. “They are… humans… but they are unlike any other we have ever seen.” He saw Hitsugaya’s eyes glaze as he undoubtedly recalled the events and when he looked at Kurotsuchi he saw the intrigue of the scientist peak.

“We arrived in the middle of a battlefield,” the 10th Division Captain continued and he finally focused on the officers before him and saw the questions written all over their faces. “There were so many of them gathered which would explain why they had gone undetected until now. They called it the Fourth Shinobi World War.”

“The Fourth Shinobi World War,” their leader interrupted and the others whispered just as intrigued. “Then why did we not notice their existence any of the other three previous wars?”

“This one was different from the others,” Rukia explained. “The significance of this war was important enough to make the ‘Allied Shinobi Nations’, as they referred to themselves, come together as one in order to defeat their opponent— the Akatsuki.”

“These humans are shinobi?” Captain Kurotsuchi asked intrigued. “I thought they had become obsolete in the Human World.”

“They have but that is the way of life of these humans,” Byakuya finally spoke.

“They are skilled in techniques unlike any we have ever seen before,” Rangiku added. “They surpassed any shinobi that could have existed in the Human World— their abilities make the ones we encountered with the Ryoka pale in comparison.”

The officers flooded them with questions simultaneously until the Commander slammed his staff on the ground to silence them. “Matsumoto-fukutaichō, please elaborate.”

“When we arrived the Shinobi Nations were fighting against creatures they called the ‘White Zetsu Army’ which were created by this group… the Akatsuki.” She had the complete attention of the room and no one interrupted her. “There were thousands of them and they easily outnumbered the humans. Just when it seemed as if the shinobi had the upper hand in battle a new enemy entered the field.” She paused for several seconds to choose her words carefully, what she would tell them next would be unbelievable.

“Their new opponents were other shinobi that had joined to fight against them but they weren’t just any shinobi,” Captain Hitsugaya interjected. “Their new enemies were dead comrades that had been brought back to life.”

“Brought back to life?” The 5th Division Captain Shinji Hirako repeated skeptically.

“The technique was referred to as Edo Tensei,” Byakuya clarified. “It is a forbidden technique that resurrects the dead and makes them virtually unstoppable; they are unable to die unless sealed or if the summoner himself releases them. Even if the one who summoned them dies they will not.”

“How is such a technique even possible— it defies all logic,” the 13th Division Captain Jūshirō Ukitake spoke what everybody else seemed to be thinking.

“If we hadn’t seen it for ourselves we wouldn’t believe such a thing could be done,” Captain Hitsugaya stated.

“That’s not all,” Rukia added, “they are able to manipulate the elements themselves and… create things…”

“What do you mean?” His red headed Lieutenant Renji Abarai demanded.

“They could create fire, water, and lightning at whim— many were able to manipulate the earth itself,” Matsumoto offered.

“The level of power in many of them could rival that of our lieutenants and captains,” Byakuya stated, the captains and lieutenants looked at him disbelievingly.

The Captain Commander recalled the Hell Butterflies to his side to catch a glimpse of what they had witnessed and one rested lightly on his finger. “Do the Hollow know of this Shinobi World’s existence?”

“Not yet,” the 6th Division Captain confirmed, “though the hundreds that continue to perish as we speak are sure to draw their attention sooner or later. Their reiatsu levels are impossible to miss.”

“The war is not over?” The worry was evident on 4th Division Captain Retsu Unohana’s face.

“No,” Rangiku said sadly. When Byakuya looked at his adopted sister out of the corner of his eye he saw her swallow with difficulty; he knew she was still shaken up over the death of the young girl they had all witnessed but had been unable to stop. He briefly glanced at Captain Ukitake and saw that he, too, had noticed her countenance.

“To witness the death of one so young is never easy,” Captain Yamamoto stated after a Hell Butterfly fled his finger only to be replaced by another; there was only one event that had been shared between all of them.

The other officers looked at him quizzically and the Commander only continued to view the war as they had, alternating between the four butterflies. “They are indeed powerful,” he said after several heartbeats. The look on his face shifted to an unrecognizable expression as he realized something. “These souls… they will all be coming here.” Realization dawned on everybody’s face as what he stated sank in. “We must keep a lookout for any of the souls from the Shinobi World; if they retain the abilities they had when alive…” the sentence trailed off but they all knew what a high uncontrolled level of Reiatsu could mean not to mention several.

“The Shinigami Research Institute will personally keep any spikes in Reiatsu under close observation.” Captain Kurotsuchi offered, he was showing too much interest on the subject.

The Captain Commander nodded, “It goes without saying that no one outside this hall should know about any of this until we are more knowledgeable on the topic. Kurotsuchi-taichō, analyze all of the data gathered by the Hell Butterflies— I want everyone present to know what we are up against as soon as possible.”

“Of course, Yamamoto-sōtaichō.” Captain Kurotsuchi reminded Byakuya of a child at a candy store.

“We will continue to deploy small groups from only those that are here now to the Shinobi World. If the war is still going on there will be many more souls that need to be purified and we must do so before they start to attract Hollow,” the Commander continued. “A new group of three will be sent once I gather more information from the first group. Everyone is dismissed with the exception of the four.”

The captains and lieutenants immediately cleared the hall; the lieutenants followed after their captains leaving only the four behind. He waited until they were alone before he spoke, “I know the young girl is… a special case for all four of you which is why I am personally allowing you to be on the look out for her.” He paused and looked at each of them individually. “There is no guarantee that she will have any spiritual awareness in this life so you may not find her.” Byakuya could see that even though the Commander had said that they all highly doubted that would be the case. “You are dismissed.”

They quickly exited the main hall and were met outside by Captain Ukitake and Captain Kyōraku; Jūshirō pulled his lieutenant aside and regarded her with concern. “Is something wrong, Rukia? What happened that has you like this?”

Rukia looked at Byakuya as if silently asking him for permission unsure if telling her captain would be saying too much. When he remained silent she saw it as a go ahead.

Before she could say anything Rangiku graced her arm and the shorter female looked at her. “Don’t worry Rukia-san, we’ll find her.”

She looked at him for reassurance and he nodded slightly. Byakuya saw a hint of relief in her violet eyes. He deemed it best to give Rukia and Ukitake some privacy and left them, he saw Hitsugaya and Matsumoto do the same leaving her with the two captains.

 

ͻͻͻͻͻͻͻͻͻͻͻͻͻͻͻͻͻͻͻͻͻͻͻͻͻͻͻͻͻͻͻͻͻͻͻͻͻͻͻͻͻͻͻͻͻͻͻͻͻͻ

 

The 13th Division headquarters never failed to comfort her, and while she didn’t know if it was because they were currently in the Ugendō Grounds, where her captain would recuperate, or if it was simply because of the atmosphere at the barracks— Captain Ukitake’s kindness and affection towards his subordinates was palpable.

Captain Kyōraku had left them almost immediately when he realized the coming talk was of a serious nature, and although Rukia had insisted that his presence was welcome he denied the invitation. The two captains came in a packaged deal more often than not; the long years of friendship had made them all but inseparable. Kyōraku had opted instead for going after his “sweet Nanao”.

The third seats had given them privacy as well, much to their dissatisfaction, but this was something that she knew needed to be shared only with her beloved captain. Before Kiyone Kotetsu and Sentarō Kotsubaki retreated unwillingly in mid argument about who loved Ukitake more, they had tea prepared and poured into cups for their captain and lieutenant. Rukia couldn’t help but smile.

The two sat in silence for a while— Jūshirō had never been intrusive and waited patiently for her to speak what was on her mind. She couldn’t really form the words and didn’t even know where to start.

“There was this girl…” she stumbled out and when she looked at the white haired man he continued to sip his tea as if she had not yet spoken. Despite his calm Rukia knew she had his full attention. “She must not have been older than 18 and she…” Rukia felt her voice crack and she suddenly felt an incredible heat behind her eyes. She felt panic start to slowly rise within her at the knowledge of what it was; it had been too long since she had felt this emotion.

“What about this girl?” his soothing voice gently urged her on.

“She died in front of me!” She blurted out before she realized what she had said.

The gravity of what had happened in the Shinobi World finally sunk in and she swallowed with difficulty. The 13th Division Lieutenant was no stranger to war— she had witnessed the Arrancar Invasion and the Invasion of Hueco Mundo firsthand— but this was different. Humans fighting against each other was just…

Rukia felt moisture on her hand and when she came out of her thoughts she saw that her hands were fisted tightly and shaking on her lap. She felt more drops of moisture fall and comprehended they were tears. Frustrated she looked up at the kind man sitting across from her and met his eyes. She saw nothing but understanding in his familiar green eyes and she felt something crumble deep within her.

“I let her die…” she said brokenly. Her shoulders trembled with emotion as she fought the onslaught of tears, “I let Hinata die while I just stood there.” Her voice was still a whisper.

Jūshirō slowly moved closer to her and clasped her hand in his, coaxing her to loosen it. “There was nothing you could have done to save her if it was her time, Rukia, you know that.”

“Then what’s the point, Ukitake-taichō? Can you tell me that, what’s the point if we can’t prevent people from dying?” She was practically a child that had yet begun to live.

“We are only mere instruments, meant to purify souls and defeat Hollow— nothing more for even we can fall.” Even through her reproach he kept his tone calm and full of understanding. He had dealt with his fair share of casualties throughout the centuries though time did not lessen the pain that came with it.

“Her comrades tried to get help for her but it was too late,” she whispered as she recalled the panic she had seen in them at that moment.

Rukia began to recount everything that had happened since they first set foot on the Shinobi World— he would see everything for himself once Captain Kurotsuchi analyzed all his data. She told him of when she first saw Hinata and her brother, as she referred to him, and how beautifully they fought and seemed to move as if they were one; not once failing to protect themselves and each other. She recounted how the ability to communicate telepathically between the hundreds of shinobi present on that battlefield was also among their many gifts and that after that transmission they moved in mass to that fateful destination.

The lieutenant elaborated a little more on Edo Tensei when she recalled their encounter with the powerful man with long black hair and red eyes, and mentioned the brief moments when the man he had been in his lifetime showed through. The appearance of Sasuke on the battlefield only altered things and she was able to catch a few things from their conversation— like how their red eye technique was referred to as the Sharingan and they were both part of a nearly extinct powerful clan known as the Uchiha. Everything only escalated from there once they started fighting; Sasuke’s attacks did no damage and the enemy had the upper hand. It was during one of the attacks that Sasuke had been unable to see and avoid that it happened; Hinata had seen it before anybody else had and was there at his side in an instant moving him out of the way and taking the damage.

“During the entire battle he kept calm, his confidence was visible— he reminded me of nii-sama somehow— yet when he saw Hinata he lost his composure. Her brother Neji was also by her side but it was as if he was able to see through her with their unique eyes and saw that it was too late for her.” She focused on Ukitake once again, “She knew nothing could be done and in her last moments she comforted them.”

“When she materialized out of her physical body she caught on quickly to what had happened and regretted nothing about how things had turned out in the end… she was ready to go on knowing that she had saved Sasuke from certain death.” She felt her composure start to waver once again. “I think he saw her in that last instant as she vanished… I had never heard anybody sound as distraught like he did then.”

“The passing of the young is never an easy thing to witness especially when they leave behind such emptiness in their wake,” the captain added and after a moment of silence he continued. “Though Yamamoto-sōtaichō said there was a possibility that she might not have a strong spiritual awareness in this life, from what you told me of her abilities I find it highly unlikely. Her reiatsu will only be amplified in Soul Society— it is just a matter of time before that happens.”

Rukia started to feel a glimmer of hope. “I- I have to find her, Ukitake-taichō. I couldn’t do anything for her before, but… this time…”

She couldn’t stop the feeling of guilt whenever she thought of Hinata. She knew that their mission had been one of only observation and the Captain Commander had forbade any contact with the humans, but it still didn’t change things. Maybe Jūshirō was right and it had been Hinata’s time. Still at that moment she swore to herself that she would not stop until she found the girl. Rukia remembered the look Hinata had given her as she vanished, it was one filled with trust. I promised I would see you on the other side…


	3. Chapter 3

During the course of eight weeks the everyday pace had refused to dwindle down, on the contrary, the Gotei 13 had never been stretched so thin. They found slight relief in the fact that the human world had not had any major disturbances other than the usual Hollow; nothing had occurred that could not be taken care of solely by Ichigo Kurosaki and the Ryoka allowing the Shinigami to focus on the things that really demanded their attention— things close to home.

As was to be expected, after the discovery of the Shinobi World, the influx of spiritually aware souls that dwelled in Soul Society increased exponentially. The war had claimed the lives of thousands and while only a small percentage of that had actually carried on their abilities onto the afterlife, the number of possible Shinigami candidates had never been so large. What could be compared to “explosions” of high levels of reiatsu would occur throughout Soul Society signaling the awakening of a spiritually aware individual.

For eight weeks he had been informed of every single soul that had awakened but he had yet to find the one he was looking for. It was not that he had a special interest in her for Byakuya Kuchiki could not be bothered with such trivial matters such as the whereabouts of one specific soul, but he knew that such information was important to his sister Rukia. The way that girl’s death had impacted Rukia had been more than clear to see and the pressure of finding her was slowly wearing on her. Byakuya could see the hope that flashed across Rukia’s face whenever she heard they had discovered a new soul from the Shinobi World only to have it crushed when they found out it wasn’t her.

It was not something he felt he could talk to her about— things such as feelings — but he pondered as to why this Hinata girl haunted her so. Had it been because of the manner in which her death had occurred which had not been void of any suffering or pain, or perhaps because it had struck a chord close to home? There had been many occasions in which Rukia herself had been severely injured fighting for those closest to her. Was it that the young girl reminded her of her ryoka friends? Byakuya had yet to come up with an accurate answer but there was one thing he was sure of— he would not stop until he found Hinata if only it was to give Rukia peace of mind. He would continue to support his sister from the shadows much like he had always done.

* * *

 

About eight weeks earlier…..

Before she even opened her eyes she knew something was different. She used her other senses to acquire a better assessment of her surroundings and her situation slowly started to come into focus. She was able to discern the following: she was outdoors somewhere, lying underneath some heavy shade for she could not see any light or feel any heat coming from behind her eyelids— that or it was night time— and she could feel almost weightless as if she was no longer in her own body.

Deciding to take a risk she slowly opened her eyes and soon realized that her first assumptions had been correct, it was still daylight and she was lying underneath the heavy canopy of deciduous trees, small patches of sunlight filtered through to cast interesting patterns on everything beneath it. She slowly sat up and soon realized she was in a forest; for an unknown reason the greenery of the forest soothed her, the environment somehow felt familiar to her but when she tried to think of where she was and how she had gotten there her mind came up blank. Panic slowly started to creep up on her as she tried to recall the important things. How did I get here? Who am I? What is my name? These were the questions that kept echoing through her thoughts.

The once familiar feeling of being surrounded by greenery faded in an instant as she realized she had no idea where she was let alone who she was. She decided she needed to find help, to find someone who could help her at least get a basic understanding of her whereabouts. She made a quick assessment of herself to see if anything was wrong with her physically before she proceeded. She was wearing a short sleeve, plain black top layered with a black mesh shirt that rested just above the waist of cropped black pants and when she felt the roughness of the earth beneath her feet she noticed she was also barefoot. Although she was completely clothed she felt extremely exposed and while she felt the need to cover up even more, she decided this would have to do for the time being.

Through the heavy canopy she could make out the setting sun and decided to head in the opposite direction, something pulled her in that direction and deciding to trust it she followed. After walking through the heavy forest for several hours, from a distance she heard muffled voices. On instinct, she took to a run and with agility unknown to her she possessed, took to the tree tops coming to rest up high on a tree branch where she would not be spotted but could clearly see beneath her. Too on guard to dwell on her reaction she quietly awaited the approaching party. One… two… three… four men… she realized, surprised she was able to discern the number and gender rather quickly.

“Damn those Shinigami scum!” she was able to hear them clearly before they came into view. “Always sniffing around where it’s none of their concern!”

When they came into her range of view she could see all four were carrying weapons. “I hear ya” another man said. “Though I do wonder what has them actin’ like a fire’s been lit under their asses.”

“Who the fuck knows?” the third one cursed. “They’ve just been itchin’ for a reason to come bustin’ our balls. They don’t usually wander this far out into the Rukon district which means somethin’ big must be goin’ on.”

“Doesn’t matter why, they’re hurting our business,” she picked up on the authoritative tone in which he spoke and she only concluded he must be the leader. “The weak are starting to get brave and won’t answer that easily to our demands anymore. We have to show them who governs the Rukon district.” The man’s threat sent a chill down her spine.

“Yeah, boss!” The other three men jeered.

She managed to remain undiscovered and watched them until she could no longer see them. Warning signs went off in her mind and she made a mental note to stay away from them if she ever came across them again. She did, however, pick up on the key words “Shinigami” and “Rukon district” deducting the latter was her current location and while the other sounded familiar she filed for future use. The sunlight was almost completely gone and she decided to look for a safe place to spend the night. She found an especially well covered area between a web of large, protruding tree roots shielded by a canopy of foliage; she couldn’t let her guard down in this area.

The first night she dreamt of an ocean of white creatures threatening to wash over her.

* * *

 

She had made three trips to the Shinobi World in the span of eight weeks, and while those closest to her, namely her best friend Lieutenant Renji Abarai, thought it was borderline obsessive she merely saw it as her duty. No, Rukia saw it as her responsibility. The Fourth Shinobi War was over and had claimed the lives of many but had scarred the lives of even more. Fate had been on her side and on her second trip she had managed to attend Hinata’s funeral— Hinata Hyūga, she learned had been the girl’s full name.

Her funeral was held in her hometown, a village that had once been beautiful and was currently under reconstruction from a previous battle. It seemed as if even the heavens were mourning that day shrouding everything in misery. Hinata had left behind an irreplaceable absence in the lives of family, friends, and an entire village. A picture of a beautiful girl with lavender eyes smiled back at those that mourned her loss.

Next to her altar stood her closest relatives an older man, a young girl and Neji. Out of the three the only one that showed her grief was the girl Rukia thought to be Hinata’s sister. A boy of about the same age approached her and gave her a hug. “I’m so sorry, Hanabi-chan,” he addressed her only making her silent tears flow even more. The only thing the girl could do was hug him tightly to keep from crying out. Everyone approached them in a similar way the ones who were closest to Hinata were easier to identify among the rest.

During the closing of the service, something drew Hanabi’s attention to an adjacent rooftop, shortly after Neji’s followed and when Rukia turned the same way she saw what had demanded their attention. There stood Sasuke, observing the proceeding from a distance, Rukia was sure he had not missed an instant and had opted for mourning his loss alone. When Hanabi and Sasuke exchanged gazes they remained locked for several heartbeats, words were being exchanged silently across the distance, he slightly nodded his head and Hanabi did the same.

At her grave site, she was surrounded by fellow shinobi, too many Rukia thought. She quickly scanned the names that consisted of both male and female and engraved on all of their stones were the words “Killed in Action”. Rukia swallowed with difficulty; Hinata was now one more added to this place of fallen honorable shinobi. The funeral was long over but only one remained behind. A girl of about 15 knelt in front of her sister’s grave, one that no matter how beautifully it may have been adorned by a mountain of white lilies would still not take away the fact that it was her final resting place and would not be coming back.

From where she stood behind her Rukia could make out the words engraved on the plaque: Hyūga Hinata “Loving daughter, devoted sister, and faithful friend. Killed in Action.” She could hear the hushed sobs coming from Hanabi and see her small shoulders shaking. Silently, Sasuke approached Hanabi from behind and Rukia almost missed his presence until he was almost right beside her.

He stopped until he stood beside Rukia and she saw that Hanabi stilled. “You could have joined us… you have every right to mourn her… just like we do.” Hanabi spoke brokenly and Rukia fought back the tears surging to come forward.

Sasuke scoffed next to her and while it may have been meant to sound condescending now it just sounded empty. “ _You_ say that.”

“You have been absolved by the Hokage— the other villages have forgiven your previous crimes as well. If it wasn’t for you-”

“If it weren’t for me she would be here!” He retorted angrily unable to say her name. Sasuke’s fists closed in a death grip while his body trembled.

“Don’t you dare say that! Don’t you dare disgrace her memory!” Hanabi turned around as soon as the words left his mouth and looked at him furiously. Her lavender eyes were red and swollen from crying. “Do you honestly think that she would have stood idly by while your life was in danger?”

Sasuke paled and just looked back at the younger girl unblinkingly when he realized she was right.

“I don’t blame you for her death and neither does otō-san nor Neji-nii. The ones that really knew the kind of person my sister was know she would have reacted the way she did and would do it many times over were she put in the same situation.” Hanabi looked back at Sasuke pleadingly and the pain was seen evident on her features making her look much older and wiser than her young years. “Why can’t you forgive yourself?”

Sasuke looked away from Hanabi unable to keep his pain hidden. Rukia could see that his eyes were burning with tears that he refused to let fall.

“We are both suffering the same pain from her absence,” she shook her head and corrected herself, “from their absence.”

Rukia was taken aback when she heard the plural. What further suffering continues to entwine the fates of the Hyūga and Uchiha?

“My sister Hinata meant as much to you as your brother Itachi meant to me,” she almost whispered. “Why are we not allowed to mourn for the woman you love and the man I love?” She implored brokenly.

Rukia thought it was some sick twist of fate what these two had been dealt, the loss of their closest sibling as well as their loved one, before she knew it she was shedding tears for them as well. She had not missed how Hanabi referred to them as the ones they love reinstating the fact that even though they are gone their feelings for them will not change.

Next to her Sasuke was unable to restrict several tears that could not be kept at bay any longer. He quickly wiped them away and without uttering a word he walked forward until he was parallel to Hanabi and knelt down. Together they faced Hinata’s resting place in silence.

Rukia felt a familiar presence behind her, “How long have you been here?”

“As long as you have,” a deep voice answered simply.

She whirled around to come face to tattooed chest. Rukia felt furious but when she looked up at her red-headed best friend and saw the sympathy in his eyes her anger slipped away. “When I heard another team was being deployed I knew you would come.” He paused as he tried to read her expression. When he could read her he sighed in exasperation and ran a hand down his face. “Why do you keep doing this to yourself?”

“It’s none of your business, Renji.” She answered gravely.

He knew she had locked up and would no longer open up to him. “Look, Rukia I can see that you feel responsible-”

“Don’t patronize me!” She retorted enraged. “You don’t know anything… you can’t understand what happened since you weren’t there!”

“I’m sorry, Rukia and you’re right I wasn’t there but why do you keep torturing yourself by coming back?” Renji responded just as irked.

“Why?” Rukia asked disbelievingly. “How am I going to be able to face her when I see her?”

“If you find her,” Renji added.

“These are the things she is going to want to know about her loved ones when she-”

“That’s if and when she eventually remembers,” Renji interjected.

“Look, Renji,” Rukia warned threateningly. “This is why I did not want to get you involved and why I didn’t tell you I was coming here today.” By now her anger had simmered away only to leave behind that urgent feeling once again. “I have to find her. Rangiku said she would help and I’m sure Hitsugaya-taichō would end up helping us, too.”

Renji looked at Rukia and gave in when he saw the clear determination. “Alright, Rukia I’ll help you find this Hinata but you also have to be aware that you may not find her or that it may even take you years.”

A small smile graced her lips and she turned to look at Hanabi and Sasuke who were still kneeling in front of Hinata’s grave. “I know… but… I just have this feeling that we’ll find her… soon.”

* * *

 

The further away a district was from Seireitei the more evident it became that this was a lawless land; since these districts lacked the closer observation of the Gotei 13, bandits and criminals ruled with fear and extortion. Poverty was a harsh reality in which everyone went for days without any sustenance. Regular patrol performed by the Gotei 13 was a necessity to keep some of the evil at bay.

Today, Byakuya Kuchiki had taken such a task unto himself deciding it was as good a chance as any to search for the girl he needed to find. He had searched in those districts closest to Seireitei and had not seen a single sign of her and when he asked the inhabitants no one had seen such a strange looking girl. He decided to head further into the Rukon district hoping with even all the odds against her that the girl had not end up in the tougher districts.

He was currently patrolling the 52nd district in Rukon and he had yet to see any sign or hint of Hinata. This district was no exception, poverty was a way of life and it was made evident in the bodies of those who lived here. So far he had stopped a small brawl that had broken out in the middle of the street. When those involved had seen his white captain’s haori there had been no lingering doubt as to his identity and all had fled, which was now proving to be increasingly difficult in allowing him to ask for any information about the shinobi girl.

Byakuya managed to cover several districts every time he patrolled and coming up with no results, he decided this would be his last stop for this trip. As he approached the outskirts of the district he reached the entrance of a vast forest. The sun was beginning to set and he continued to look onward debating whether he should push forward. The 6th Division Captain stilled and took in his surroundings; he could hear the faraway cry of winged creatures, the skittering of life as it ran across the forest floor, and the movement of plant life as it swayed with the occasional breeze. Nothing seemed out of the ordinary and opted for continuing his search of this forest and the following districts on another day. Turning his back on the forest he made his way back to Seireitei and just as he attempted his first step he immediately halted for that was when he felt it— the surge in familiar reiatsu coming from deep within the forest.


	4. Chapter 4

She had finally managed to get the younger girl to turn in for the night. There was no doubt in her mind that the fact she had found her had been pure fate for Rukongai was so large that the young girl could have ended up anywhere, but instead she had ended up here. While the older woman was glad fate had smiled upon her by bringing them together, this could only mean one thing and that in fact was that the young girl was dead.

For the past several weeks the lavender eyed girl had been having recurring nightmares, which the older woman suspected were memories from her previous life that came to her while she succumbed to slumber. The older woman had until now served as a guide through this shocking transition into the afterlife— the overwhelming remembrance of one’s previous life’s memories and eventually the moment that led to one’s death— she was grateful she was the one that had crossed the girl’s path. When she revealed to the young girl that she was dead it had certainly not been easy; the initial shock had been almost too much for the young girl to tolerate. In her situation, for instance, what had made that reality sink in easier was that her memories had not been lost to her and she had known from the beginning that she was dead. The girl had not been as fortunate.

Every time the girl dreamt she could feel the increase in reiatsu— it was what she learned in this world was similar to chakra— whatever abilities she had in her previous life had carried on to this one and had begun to awaken. The older woman was afraid for the younger; this increase in spiritual pressure only meant one thing and it would not be long before somebody else became aware of it. She would keep the young girl hidden for as long as she could; she only hoped that her awareness was slow to awaken.

Just then a large wave of reiatsu came flowing out from the room where the young girl was sleeping and it made her body tremble. These waves were becoming increasingly more powerful as the weeks passed. She only hoped no one that could recognize it for what it was had been anywhere near their little cottage hidden deep within the forest.

 

* * *

 

_Several weeks prior…_

 

She knew she was approaching the end of the forest before she could even see it; the dense canopy overhead began to grow more sparse and she could hear a multitude of noises ahead of her. In the time she traveled through the forest she became aware of a few things, for instance, the fact that her senses were very sharp. She could hear things that were at a distance from her and could discern accurately what those things were. Her eyesight was sharp as well and could see things clearly when they were still quite a distance away. She had been so entranced by this fact— she would pick out something at a distance and identify it, only to discover up close that she had in fact been right— that when she finally reached the end of the forest the unfiltered sunlight nearly blinded her and she immediately shielded her eyes.

She had ended up in a small village that looked like it had seen better days. There were no paved roads and the ground felt damp at her feet; she could still smell the moisture from the previous rainfall in the air. This particular section of the village resembled a small marketplace for there were locales on either side of her selling all sorts of things. For a moment she was overwhelmed by the assault to her senses; the almost deafening chatter from the people around her that threatened to drown her, as well as the all encompassing scents that surrounded her were almost too much to bear. It took her several moments to gain composure, but when she did she caught a whiff of food in the air and her stomach grumbled low in response. Gathering courage she began to make her way through the busy street and tried not to collide with any of the villagers. As she looked around her she caught people giving her curious glances and she wondered why; discreetly she assessed herself once again and upon noticing nothing out of place other than the fact she was barefoot, she decided to not dwell on it.

She passed by booths selling clothing, pottery, jewelry, weapons, and many other things; vendors invited anyone who would listen to purchase their quality products. She could smell the food getting closer and she currently had a one track mind as she made her way through the crowded street. When her eyes found what she had been looking for her mouth watered— in front of her were slabs of meat rotating slowly over a grill, seafood she currently couldn’t recall the names of were on display, and the way the poultry was being prepared gave a whole new meaning to the word “fresh”. As she made her way through the booths she saw they were all paying with a type of currency and she reached her hands into her pockets, unsurprised to find that they were empty.

She continued to work her way down the street and saw a fruit stand. The owner appeared to be busy with the small crowd of potential customers surrounding his stand. She approached the farthest end of the stand that was out of his sight and looked longingly at the different array of fruits on display. She felt torn for she felt the burn from the hunger pangs but she knew that taking something without paying for it was wrong. She would find a way to acquire this currency and earn it— as soon as she found out exactly where she was and how she had gotten here.

As she was about to walk away, she felt something crash into her from behind pushing her towards the makeshift fruit display. She immediately shot her hands forward to avoid slamming face first onto the stand and send several oranges rolling with her action. When she regained her balance and righted herself, she saw a small boy that barely reached her waist with two oranges tucked under his arm dash away as far as his little feet could take him. The owner of the stand quickly made his way towards her to see what all the commotion had been.

His face was flushed red with anger by the time he was in front of her. “Damn it, not again!” His glare was boring into her, “You’re trying to take my fruit without paying aren’t you?” He said accusingly.

She was taken aback by his wrongful accusation even when her train of thought had strayed there not five minutes ago and could only shake her head. “I-”

By this time a crowd had gathered around them and she could hear their incriminating whispers. “Don’t try to deny it I’m onto your act! You distract me while your little friend makes off with my fruit!” He reached his hand out and grabbed a hold of her upper arm in a tight grip.

“But I didn’t-” It was all she managed to say before he interrupted her by shaking her.

“Who’s gonna pay for my stolen goods now? I bet you don’t even have money to pay…” He said when he made a quick assessment of her state of dress.

By now she started to shake in fear; she was desperately trying to find a way to get out of the situation but was coming up empty. “I’ll cover it,” a woman’s voice came from somewhere in the crowd and she took advantage of his distraction to wriggle free from his tight hold so she too could see who had spoken. “She’s with me.” She immediately noticed the authoritative tone in which she spoke.

Said woman finally came out of the crowd and stopped until she stood between the two of them. “It’s gonna cost you,” the man said with a smug look on his face.

“No, it’s not,” the woman stated. “If you were actually an honest merchant you would accept payment only for the two pieces of fruit that child stole, the rest were merely knocked down by accident.” She clarified as she gestured toward the ground where the rest of the fruit lay.

The crowd’s hushed whispers increased in volume as they agreed with the woman. “Leave the girl alone, you greedy bastard!” she heard someone say from somewhere behind her.

“Yeah, now you’re just trying to steal her money!” Someone else threw in and soon enough the crowd was defending her from the merchant.

The woman smirked in triumph. “You heard them. I suggest you are truly honest unless you want to risk losing future customers.” “F-fine, just pay for the goods and take her with you.” The man’s anger had long subsided and was now replaced with embarrassment. The woman reached into the large tote bag she had strung over her shoulder that was filled with food and pulled out a small wallet. From within she pulled out two coins and handed them to the man. “Thank you for being reasonable,” she said before she held onto her arm and pulled her away from the crowd heading in the direction she had first entered the village.

“Uhm…” she said but the woman gave no sign of having heard her and only continued to lead her away from the busy street.

As she trailed behind her, she could see the woman was a few inches taller than her, had jet black hair that reached her lower back, and a light complexion. Something about the woman’s grasp on her felt familiar but she could not recall who this woman was. When she looked ahead she could make out the entrance of the forest once again and she began to panic.

“Excuse me,” she said as she pulled her arm free from the unknown woman’s hand. “Can we please stop?” They stood in the middle of the street and the woman quickly scanned the area around them. When her eyes spotted what she had been looking for she quickly pulled her into a deserted alley.

“When did you get here?” She demanded with urgency. Now that they stood face to face she could see the older woman was beautiful. Her eyes were a grey so dark they were almost black but instead of being afraid of their darkness she felt at peace— everything about this woman screamed warmth. She exhaled loudly and asked in a calm voice, “How long have you been here?”

She still didn’t know where “here” was much less what the answer to the woman’s question was. The only thing that gave her an indication as to how long she had been there was how long it had been since she first gained consciousness in the forest. “Uhm… well, for a day… I think.”

The woman only stared at her and she could see the many questions that were forming silently in her charcoal eyes. She was surprised when the woman pulled her tightly in an embrace but before she could react they had broken apart and she was left speechless. “You really don’t remember me, do you?” The disappointment could be heard in her voice.

She looked intently at her but nothing about this woman looked familiar. She shook her head, “No, I-I’m sorry.”

The disappointment was clear on the woman’s face but she only said, “Maybe with time… you will.” She shook her head as if to clear it. “Do you have anywhere to go? Have you eaten since you came here?”

As if on cue her stomach growled loudly and she blushed at her body giving her away. “No… to both of your questions.”

The older woman laughed and she found the sound comforting. “Come with me,” she stated plainly. “I live alone and we can talk in private without worrying about anybody interrupting us. What do you say?”

She really didn’t have any options but even then something in her gut told her that this woman was trustworthy. While she could easily spend the night in the forest— a fact that left her intrigued— she really didn’t want to when there was an offer for a roof over her head even if it was only for the night.

She nodded her consent and the woman smiled warmly at her. As she turned away from her and made to exit the alleyway to lead them in the direction of her home, she reached for her arm and held tightly. “My name… you said you knew me.” She looked up and stared pleadingly into grey eyes. “What is it?” She asked hesitantly.

The woman’s smile grew even wider. “Hyūga,” she said as she tucked a stray strand of hair behind her ear affectionately. “Hinata Hyūga.” 

**Author's Note:**

> The next few chapters are already written I just want to see what kind of feedback this pairing will receive. Thank you for taking the time to read this! Comments, questions, and suggestions are welcome!


End file.
